U.S. think-tank slams India’s alleged covert nuke trade

India’s alleged involvement in illicit nuclear trade networks came under fire in a detailed report issued by a major security-focused think tank here, the Institute for Science and International Security.

In its 114-page report on “Future World of Illicit Nuclear Trade,” authors David Albright, Andrea Stricker, and Houston Wood argued that India despite being a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory, was “expected to maintain or improve nuclear arsenals via illicit trade, in violation of originating state laws and international law.”

According to ISIS India was in fact among a group of “illicit nuclear trade suppliers of concern,” including China, Pakistan, Brazil, Turkey, Russia and a host of “rogue states” such as Iran, North Korea, Syria “and possibly a Khan-type network.”

Outlining numerous specific concerns about India’s involvement in illicit procurement the July report unveiled on October 1 said that New Delhi “On one hand, seeks parts, equipment, and technology for its civilian nuclear power program, an effort facilitated by the 2008 U.S.-India agreement on civilian nuclear trade, while at the same time engaging in illicit activities to obtain key items for its unsafeguarded nuclear facilities and nuclear weapons programme.”

It also pulled no punches in emphasising that India benefitted from the Abdul Qadeer Khan nuclear smuggling network which was “exposed and rolled up in 2003 and 2004,” also noting that nuclear smugglers allegedly supplying Iran with components, “placed orders from Germany and Turkey to an Indian valve company.” In this specific case four shipments of 856 valves went from India to Turkey and then on to Iran, the report said.

The ISIS study however exonerated some aspects of India’s nuclear development, pointing out that India used commercial, electricity production reactors to make plutonium for its nuclear weapons, including heavy water reactors.

This method, used by India “as a way to surge plutonium production following its 1999 nuclear tests and the formal launch of its nuclear arms race with Pakistan, did not however entail the use of reactors under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, “so their use did not involve a violation of any international agreements.”

However ISIS underscored India’s dependence on foreign procurement to acquire major components, such as the fact that it was “known to have procured on several occasions at least one of the required chemicals, tributyl phosphate (TBP), for its own programme abroad rather than making the TBP itself.”

A long list of components were said to have been illicitly procured by India and other nations such as Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, including vacuum measuring equipment, vacuum pumps, fast-acting valves, ring magnets, specialized oils, specialized epoxy resins, computerized control equipment, high-grade maraging steel, high-strength aluminum, high-strength carbon fibre, CNC machine tools.

In terms of policy recommendations to stem the rise of illicit nuclear trade in the future the ISIS report said that “proliferant states, such as India and Pakistan, which have depended or did depend on overseas, illegal procurements for their nuclear programmes, may resist reforms in trade control systems and rigorous enforcement of trade control laws.”

India was also considered to feature in the list of “future possible turntable countries or countries of diversion concern” and one policy response would be to initiate an international effort to improve and standardise security and classification rules among responsible nations.

Additionally domestic intelligence agencies involved in investigating and analyzing illicit trade had to be developed in India, “but as these countries implement their controls more effectively, they can also strengthen government/industry cooperation,” the report said.

Ultimately it would be necessary to “pressure partners such as India and Pakistan to stop breaking U.S. and other nations’ laws to equip their nuclear weapons or unsafeguarded nuclear programmes, ISIS noted, adding that negotiations toward tension reduction and caps on fissile material and nuclear weapons production between India and Pakistan would also help.

Now if we prefer to remain on the surface, some print and electronic media reports would lead us believe that India has a strong nuclear non-
proliferation track record. On the contrary, the highly alarming situation remains unnoticed. There is an unnoticed and largely ignored history of Indian illegal nuclear procurement, poor nuclear export controls and mismanagement of nuclear facilities.

from:
Aadesh

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 21:29 IST

Kartheek - Just because US compiled the report doesn't make it a the ultimate truth. These mudslinging could be to dilute the credibility of Indian scientists. Probably if you read the story on the struggle our scientists have to go thro' (from Homi Baba's time to now) to come where we are now - then you would appreciate their hardwork, dedication and intuitite thinking. I am not a scientist, but worked with few of them while at L&T during early 1990s. I know how smart our folks are.

from:
Goochi Gulty

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 20:32 IST

This is a crucial revelation at this critical time as we have just few days back signed a long halted nuclear deal with US. With the word nuclear only horrors can be imagined. There are number of accords and treaties to stop the nuclear proliferation but nothing valuable has been achieved till now. Itâs an ever continued concerned debate to protect the nuclear related equipment, materials and of course skills in shape of scientists. But it is evident we are far less successful to stop the illegal nuclear trade. A new country India has also added on this umbrella of illegal nuclear trade. Despite of stopping the illegal accession of nuclear, we are far less speedy in illegal acquisition of nuclear assets. We are just making the world more vulnerable and dangerous by adding up the nuclear stockpiles. But only one important thing needs to accept that every state used the instrument of nuclear black market in order to achieve ambitions.

from:
Pishma Shehkar

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 19:02 IST

So ISIS is in touch with NSA. Good to know that.

from:
Vinci

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 17:38 IST

now our scientists says evertthing is indigenous.what fools we are

from:
kartheek

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 16:19 IST

With reference to above paragraph.... In its 114-page report on âFuture World of Illicit Nuclear Trade,â authors David Albright, Andrea Stricker, and Houston Wood argued that India despite being a non-Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory.....According to my knowledge India never signed NPT. However India has always maintained its position in promoting Civil use of Nuclear technologies and use of nuclear technologies should be abandoned completely.

from:
Aditya Arora

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 10:52 IST

What is legal and illegal in nuclear supplies industry is a thinline ! If the trade has US blessings it is deemed legal. If not it is called illegal ! The only nation that has irresponsibly used two nukes and caused devastation, has itself not made any international commitment to reduce its arsenal.. It keeps lecturing others !.. Israel is not a NPT signatory, any of these think tanks ask where they get their nuclear supplies from ?!.. The onlyway nuclear race will end is for the big security council nations that are threatening to smaller neighbours to voluntarily give up their arsenal and decommission under international eyes. If they dont do this, then there is very little incentive for others to stop this trade, whether you call it legal or illegal.

from:
Gajamani G

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 08:43 IST

India needs to accept its responsibility for kick-starting the nuclear arms race in South Asia. The onus remains on India to cool down the heated rhetoric with Pakistan - Nawaz Sharif is as close to a hawk that you can get in Pakistan, and even he has consistently expressed his desire for a nuclear free region.

With Modi and his nationalistic rhetoric looking strong for a win in the next elections, Manmohan should utilize has last 200 days to formalise a peace-process with Pakistan. The stakes are just too high for him to spend his last months campaigning for Congress.

from:
Farhan

Posted on: Oct 3, 2013 at 08:34 IST

And why is there no mention of Israel in any of these "illicit nuclear trade networks" - how convenient to concentrate on alleged suppliers but not on other equally relevant aspects of illicit nuclear trade such as outright theft of designs and critical components of nuclear technology.

Unless the reports by these so-called 'think-tanks' are comprehensive in nature and not just used to 'point fingers' their value is severely diminished and attention paid to them unjustified.